1975 ALL-STAR GAME- 1976 HIGHLIGHT CARD

On the blog today, we have my 1976 highlight card for the 1975 Major league All-Star game, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

 

I used a fun image of the great Hank Aaron, who was the "hometown hero" in his first season back in Milwaukee after the Braves moved from there to Atlanta before the 1968 season.

Aaron was back in Milwaukee to close out his extraordinary career with two seasons in 1975 and 1976, and it seemed fitting the game would be held there for one of those years.

Of course, as the custom card I created states, it was "business as usual" with the National League coming out on top yet again, beating the American League 6-3, scoring the decisive three runs in the top of the ninth after a 3-3 tie heading into the final frame.

Catfish Hunter and Rich Gossage were the victims of the N.L.'s ninth-inning heroics, with Hunter opening up the inning, allowing a lead-off single to Reggie Smith and a double to Al Oliver, before "Goose" came in and promptly allowed a two-run single to Bill Madlock, followed by a sacrifice fly to Pete Rose, giving the N.L. the 6-3 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, San Diego Padre ace Randy Jones came in to close it up, sporting a 1-2-3 inning.

It was the N.L.'s fourth straight All-Star win, on their way to eleven in a row before losing in 1983, famous for the Fred Lynn grand slam off Atlee Hammaker.

DEDICATED ROOKIE: 1972 BURT HOOTON

On the blog today, we go and give former starting pitcher Burt Hooton a "dedicated rookie" card in the 1972 set:

 

Hooton was on his way to his first full season in the Big Leagues when this card would have seen the light of day, and he would not disappoint, posting an excellent 2.80 earned run average over 33 appearances with three shutouts.

The highlight of course would be April 16th of 1972, making just his fourth start of his career, when he no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 at Wrigley Field.

He would go on to have an excellent 15-year run, mainly with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which saw him be a part of three National League champion teams, as well as a World Championship in 1981.
His post-season resume was very good, finishing at 6-3 with an ERA at 3.17 over eleven starts, with 33 strikeouts and a complete game.
His final regular season numbers: 151 wins against 136 losses, a very nice 3.38 ERA and 1491 strikeouts in 480 appearances (377 of those starts), and 2652 innings pitched, with 29 shutouts and seven saves.

1970 "IN-GAME ACTION": JOE MORGAN

On the blog today, we go and add Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan to my thread highlighting the cards that make up my two-series 1970 "In-Game Action" set released over the past few months:

 

Really fun custom set to produce, and it does look "snazzy" when paired up together in their respective cases with printed wraps!

Anyway, as for Mr. Morgan, the man was just beginning a run that would send him straight to the Hall of Fame, while helping eventually build a juggernaut of a team forever known as the "Big Red Machine" when he was delato to Cincinnati before the 1972 season.

Those Reds teams would win two straight World Series in 1975 and 1976, and field teams with the likes of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George Foster and Ken Griffey Sr.

By the time he retired after the 1984 season at the age of 40, he finished with two MVP Awards, 10 All-Star nods, five Gold Gloves, 2517 hits, 1650 runs scored, 268 homers and a cool 689 stolen bases with 1865 walks.
One of the all-timers right there at second base!

AIRBRUSHING IN THE 1970's: 1977 GENE TENACE

Thought it'd be fun today to take a closer look at former All-Star Gene Tenace and the airbrushing done for his 1977 Topps card:

 

Tenace was coming off yet another solid year for the Oakland A's in 1976 before fleeing via this new-fangled "Free Agency, along with a slew of other teammates, and decided to sign with the San Diego Padres down the road a bit, as did A's teammate Rollie Fingers.

Topps definitely had their hands full with the former A's and their new teams, having to put the airbrushing tools through some extensive work to get them on the correct team for the 1977 set.

Tenace was as solid as they came for the juggernaut A's dynasty of the mid-70s, giving the team a versatile leader who was an on-base machine with some decent "pop" in his bat.

As a matter of fact in three different seasons Tenace collected more walks than hits in full seasons where he walked over 100 times.
Part of the first big wave of Free Agency, as stated earlier he’d move on to the San Diego Padres in 1977 where he’d play for four seasons before playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981 & 1982, then one last season in the Big Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1983.
By the time he retired he ended up with a .241 career average, with 201 homers and 674 runs batted in, with 1060 hits and 984 walks over 1555 games and 4390 at-bats, with an All-Star start in 1975.

NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE ALL-TIME LEGENDS- DICK SEAY

Today up on the blog, we celebrate the great Dick Seay, Negro League legend and part of the famed "Million Dollar Infield":

 

The only member of that famous infield to still wait for his place in the Hall of Fame, Seay played alongside Ray Dandridge, Willie Wells and Mule Suttles to form one of the great infields in baseball history.

A light-hitting player known for his defensive skills, he was particularly known on the offensive side of things as a bunt-specialist and hit-and-run guy.

He eventually put in 16 years in the Negro Leagues, hitting .216 and making three All-Star teams along the way, appearing in 535 "official" games while accumulating 412 hits over 1905 at-bats.

DEDICATED MANAGER CARD- 1977 TOMMY LASORDA

Good day all!

Thought it'd be fun to create a "dedicated" 1977 manager card for Los Angeles Dodger skipper Tommy Lasorda, in what was the first season of his legendary run:

 

Though he skippered the Dodgers for four games in 1976, the 1977 season was the first full year at the helm of the team, and it would lead to an incredible 21 year run that saw him win two championships (1981 and 1988), with two other pennants thrown in (1977 and 1978).

Between 1976 and 1996, Lasorda led the Dodgers to 1599 wins and a .526 winning percentage, while becoming an icon in the baseball and cultural realm.

Funny enough, Lasorda would guide the Dodgers to 98 wins in his first full season as manager, and that would be the high-mark in a season for wins during his tenure.

However, he would lead the team to seven different seasons of 90+ wins, as well as seven first place finishes in the National League West.

He grew to be a legend in Los Angeles, and growing up as a kid loving baseball in the 70's and 80's his legendary status made its way East to Brooklyn, New York with my friends and I in our Italian neighborhood!

EXPANDED LEAGUE-LEADERS: 1977 A.L. STOLEN BASES

Up on the blog this fine day, moving on to the American League for their top three stolen base thieves of the 1976 season on an "expanded" 1977 league-leader card:

 

We start off with the Oakland A's Bill North, who took home his second stolen base crown in three years with his 75 steals in 1976.

Prior to the 1976 season he led the league with 54 in 1974, and would top 50 steals only one more time in his career, in 1979 with 58 for the San Francisco Giants.

He'll finish his career with 395 steals between 1971 and 1981, while also hitting .261 with 1016 hits over 3900 at-bats, spread out over 1169 games.

In second place with 58 steals during the 1976 season, Detroit Tigers All-Star outfielder Ron LeFlore, who had his breakout season that year, hitting .316 with 93 runs scored, 172 hits and eight triples.

Over the next three seasons for the Tigers, he'd be incredible, scoring 100+ runs each year, with a league-leading 126 in 1978, top 180+ hits each time, with a high of 212 in 1977, and taking home the first of his two career stolen base crowns, with 68 in 1978.

In 1980 he would lead the National League with 97 steals, before moving on to the Chicago White Sox for the 1981 and 1982 seasons, retiring at the age of 34 with 455 steals between 1974 and 1982.

In third place with 54 steals, a guy who already had six stolen base crowns under his belt, Oakland A's All-Star shortstop Bert Campaneris.

Turns out it was the seventh and final time he would top 50 steals in a season over his career, finishing up with 649 steals over his 19-year Big League career.

Well there you have it, the top three stolen base guys from the American League in 1976.